


to the country, always

by i_am_therefore_i_fight



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Sith Anakin, Sith Obi-Wan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-07-29 22:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7701328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_am_therefore_i_fight/pseuds/i_am_therefore_i_fight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Palpatine recruits Obi-Wan to the Dark Side in the hopes that Obi-Wan can convince Anakin to join them. And it works - in a way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	to the country, always

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at the following URL as a sith!Obi-Wan idea for Villain Week on my blog: i-am-therefore-i-fight.tumblr.com/post/148569374368

* * *

 

 

Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.

Mark Twain

 

* * *

 

 

Anakin tosses his pack and canteen down angrily before turning and saying through gritted teeth, “You’re a Sith.”

“True,” replies Obi-Wan, and damn him for looking so _calm_ , “but not a Separatist. My loyalties haven’t shifted, Anakin.”

Anakin turns away, rubbing at his temples. He takes a few restless steps to the back of the tent and then turns around, crossing his arms over his chest and shifting his weight back and forth. He can’t stand still.

He can’t _believe_ this. He just can’t make the pieces match in his head, can’t connect the concept of _Sith_ \- of Dooku, the pedantic Separatist bastard, and Maul, the faceless scapegoat for the death of his childhood hero - with his humorous and unflappable Master, the tactical genius, the model Jedi, and his devoted brother-in-arms.

“I am not your enemy, Anakin,” Obi-Wan says softly. “I am on your side. I always have been.”

And Force help him, but Anakin believes him.

 

* * *

 

 

“Palpatine’s been playing us.” This concept is nearly as difficult to wrap his mind around as the idea of dogmatic Master Kenobi being a Sith Lord. “He’s been playing the Separatists against the Republic the whole time.”

“That was my conclusion, as well. _Sidious_ ,” Obi-Wan gently corrects, “may not have been responsible for the original divide - frankly, I think the Republic did that to themselves - but he is certainly taking advantage of the situation.”

“And the Jedi.”

Obi-Wan arches an eyebrow. “Not that we’ve made it very difficult for him.” ( _They, not we,_ Anakin thinks. _Not you. You're not one of us._ ) Sighing, he lifts a hand to stroke his beard. “In the interest of transparency, Anakin, I should tell you - I don’t think he’s entirely _wrong_ about everything. The Jedi have grown… complacent. And the Senate is _wrought_ with corruption. For the sake of the Republic, it may be time for ‘cleansing by fire,’ as it were.”

Anakin clenches his fists. “What you’re talking about is treason.”

Obi-Wan nods gravely. “Some will see it that way. And change will come at a price; sacrifices will have to be made, eventually including my life, I suspect. But I hope to die knowing that I will leave behind a Republic led by people like Senator Amidala, and Bail Organa, rather than the _snake_ that is Sheev Palpatine.”

Anakin presses fingers, metal and flesh, to his temples. This is giving him a headache.

“Generals! General Kenobi, General Skywalker!” Rex is pushing into their tent and giving a crisp salute before either of them can respond. “Sirs, our scouts have spotted movement on the east front. The enemy is gearing up for another attack!”

Anakin nods, scowling, already shifting gears into soldier mode. “Tell the men to prepare to meet it.”

Obi-Wan frowns. “It may be a trap. They don’t have a good reason to attack on the eastern front except as a diversion.”

Damn him, but he’s right. “Rex, keep half our forces here. Tell them to be ready to reinforce the eastern line, but that they should also expect a flanking attack.”

“Yes, sir!”

Rex ducks out the flap, and Anakin moves to follow him, but Obi-Wan’s hand lands on his shoulder.

“Anakin.”

Anakin grits his teeth and turns. Obi-Wan is looking at him intently - still calm, but very serious.

“It’s in your hands now,” Obi-Wan tells him, with something almost like sympathy. “And you have a choice to make. If you report me to the Council, I have no doubt that they will see the truth of it. I have only been able to hide it up to now because they blind themselves; they don’t wish to see, so they don’t. But you could convince them. If you do, I will be put to death for treason, and Sidious will disappear. I guarantee you he has any number of contingencies in place in case he should be discovered. The Jedi may never have another chance to stop him.”

“So what exactly would you suggest I do?” Anakin asks, maybe more coldly than he means to, or maybe exactly as coldly as he means to.

“I am not telling you what to do. Only advising you that you have a choice ahead of you. And it will not be an easy one.” Obi-Wan pats his shoulder, then moves to exit the tent, and Anakin catches him by the sleeve.

“Let me ask you this." Anakin's eyes narrow. "Can I trust you?”

“You can now if you ever could.”

“No riddles. Just tell me. Can I trust you to have my back, and not stab me in it?”

Is that a flicker of hurt he sees in Obi-Wan’s eyes? A reflection, a quick montage of every time Obi-Wan has laid his life on the line for him, too quick to see, too many to count?

Obi-Wan Kenobi, whose Sith name Anakin still does not know (nor is he sure that he wants to), says, quietly, “You can trust me.”

Slow breath, in through the nose. Out through gritted teeth. “Then let’s go. We’ve got a war to fight.”

 

* * *

 

Obi-Wan says nothing more on the topic. Anakin watches him closely for the rest of the mission, but it’s like nothing has changed; he could almost believe the entire revelation was a dream, disjointed and completely disconnected from reality.

Except that the more he thinks on what Obi-Wan said, the more _sense_ it makes. And later, as he watches the Jedi Council bicker, fumes at the increasingly shortsighted decisions that they make - the more he thinks about how he could just come right out and tell them what he knows, how Sidious would probably escape and Obi-Wan would be left in the lurch, how Obi-Wan is trusting Anakin with his secret, with his _life_ \- the more he thinks, well, so what if the Jedi say that all Sith are evil? What do the Jedi know, anyway? Not nearly as much as they think they do, that’s for sure.

Finally, in a rare and precious opportunity, when they are both on Coruscant at the same time, he seeks Obi-Wan out in private. There has been a long and chilly silence between them (Anakin's fault, if he's honest with himself), to the extent that even some of the soldiers have noticed it. (Anakin can feel the worried looks burning on the back of his neck every time Rex gets off the comm with Cody and Anakin doesn’t ask how Obi-Wan’s doing. From what he can tell, Obi-Wan has still been asking after _him_.)

Obi-Wan looks surprised to see Anakin at the door to his quarters, but he invites him in, and waits until the door slides shut behind him before leaning against it and commenting, “You look like you’ve come to a decision.”

“I have.” Anakin turns, and he is struck again by the sight of his Master, the man who raised him - the Jedi, the general, the trusted friend. Obi-Wan looks tired, and a little resigned, like he’s preparing himself for the worst; but his gaze is steady, and holds no blame, only acceptance.

Anakin hesitates for only a moment more before dropping first to one knee, then to both, and bowing his head.

“I want to know, Master,” he says. “Teach me everything.”

There’s a rustle, and he looks up to see Obi-Wan folding to his knees in a mirroring position, reaching out to take Anakin by the shoulders. His face is lit by such sincere joy that Anakin's heart squeezes in his chest.

“My dear apprentice,” Obi-Wan replies warmly, “that is entirely my intention.”


End file.
